A key witness in the tablet suit between Apple and Samsung revealed in an Australian court today that former Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, was the first to approach the Korea-based electronics maker over possible patent infringements by its products.
According to Dow Jones Newswires, former Apple Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs directly contacted Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. last year with concerns that its products infringed on Apple patented inventions.
The disclosure was made by a key witness in the ongoing patent suits between the two companies.
"The discussions started with contact from him, and then he wasn't involved in meetings beyond that," senior Apple executive Richard Lutton told the federal court in Sydney.
Lutton said that Jobs had expressly approached Samsung because he valued the “deep relationship” his company had with the Korean company. According to the Apple executive, Jobs wanted "to give them a chance to do the right thing".
In the meanwhile, the legal spat between Apple and Samsung continues unchanged.
People familiar with the tablet case say that the Cupertino, California-based iPad maker is seeking an injunction against Samsung to prevent its version 10.1 of its Galaxy Tab from reaching the Australian market.
Apple’s lawyers are trying to convince the court that certain features of the Samsung slate computer don’t do justice to the patents Apple holds for its own tablet computers.
However, there has been a recent turn of events. Korean sources are now reporting that Samsung has signed a patent cross-licensing deal with Microsoft, an alliance that may strengthen Samsung’s arguments in court.
According to industry sources cited by The Korea Times, Samsung and Microsoft have agreed to settle a dispute over the use of patented technologies in the Android OS leveraged by Samsung devices.
The move is expected to bolster a fresh start for the duo, enabling them to focus on rivaling Apple.
“The agreement is a pre-emptive move before the iPhone 5 is released on Oct. 4. Samsung will also significantly boost the sale of its tablets and smartphones thanks to the partnership with MS,” said Koo Ja-woo, an analyst at Kyobo Securities.
